Written by: William Shakespeare (play), Gus Van Sant
Directed by: Gus Van Sant
Starring: River Phoenix, Keanu Reeves, James Russo
Rated: R
Watch the trailer
Plot
Mike and Scott are hustlers living on the streets of Portland, trying to track down Mike's mother.
Verdict
This a different and odd take on the buddy road trip movie. While the story claims to mix in Shakespeare's Henry V, it's debatable. It's rare a movie portrays a narcoleptic character and doesn't go for laughs, but this doesn't. While the dynamic between Mike and Scott and why they are in this style of life is interesting, it's not enough.
Skip it.
Review
Calling themselves hustlers, Mike (River Phoenix) and Scott (Keanu Reeves) are prostitutes. Scott lives this life as a form of rebellion against his rich father, but eventually he'll inherit his family's wealth. Scott has a choice, but Mike doesn't. Mike's a narcoleptic, which is never used as a joke, not even between the characters. Scott often takes care of him when he falls asleep.
Mike just wants to fit in. He's searching for something to fill the void, and he seeks to find his mother. He and Scott travel across the country and overseas looking for her.
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At times the movie is surreal as it gets into Mike's dreams, and it pivots into a documentary style as it interviews different street walkers. One sex scene is just a series of stills. The movie feels like an experiment, and Van Sant worked on it for a number of years, at one point even shelving it completely.
While is forces Shakespearean dialog into the screen play it's needlessly theatrical, and it's at odds with the gritty tone of this movie.
Scott eventually leaves the life when his inheritance comes in, ignoring his former friends. Scott never finds his mother and is left alone and broken.
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